Chapter 309: How Could He Like an Illegitimate Son?
Old Master Ji turned around and started thinking about buying him a gift. “Let’s go. We’ll go buy something today so that we can give him a gift in the future. Xiao Wu likes musical instruments, right? Why don’t we buy him musical instruments?
“Also, tell me about his four older siblings. We’ve got to buy them something they like.”
Xiao Wu’s siblings were the most important people to him. Of course he had to buy them a gift too.
Previously, when Ji Buw.a.n.g had decided he wanted to marry Mu Jingzhe, he had considered the five children. At the time, even Old Master Ji hadn’t objected. Now that Xiao Wu was the grandson of the Ji Family, there was even less need to object.
Other than the children, there was also Mu Jingzhe. She was a good woman, so she had to be thanked.
Old Master Ji and Ji Buw.a.n.g excitedly went to buy a gift. Old Master Ji held back and didn’t say anything that night.
However, early the next morning, Ji Buw.a.n.g still went to look for Mu Jingzhe to ask her about Xiao Wu.
“It’s alright. Xiao Wu still likes you a lot. Just let him calm down for a couple of days.”
“Then can I see Xiao Wu today or tomorrow?” Ji Buw.a.n.g explained. “I’m fine, but my grandfather sort of can’t hold himself back. He didn’t sleep last night either.”
“Your grandfather? Your grandfather came to Ocean City too? When did he come?”
“Yesterday.” Ji Buw.a.n.g looked at the neighbors and thought that since his grandfather had been sent there, the neighbors might remember. He told Mu Jingzhe in order to avoid a second misunderstanding and prevent them from arresting his grandfather and sending him to the police station again.
“He came yesterday. He wanted to sneak a look at Xiao Wu, but he was sent to the police station by your neighbors…”
“Ahem…” Mu Jingzhe choked on pure air. “You’re saying the old man who was arrested yesterday was your grandfather?”
“You heard about it too?” Ji Buw.a.n.g was a little embarra.s.sed. “I don’t know what happened either. Anyway, I was notified and I went to the police station to pick up my grandfather. This is also the first time he encountered such a thing. He was stunned yesterday.”
Mu Jingzhe seemed to be in a daze. “I heard. Everyone warned me when I came out yesterday. I didn’t expect…”
Unexpectedly, that person was Ji Buw.a.n.g’s grandfather and Xiao Wu’s great-grandfather… The entire matter was… completely ridiculous.
Mu Jingzhe looked at Ji Buw.a.n.g and belatedly remembered Grandpa Ji’s ident.i.ty. This wasn’t an ordinary person. To think such an old man had been taught a lesson by her neighbors.
Indeed, experts were hidden among the commoners.
“Ji Buw.a.n.g, wait a minute. I’ll ask Xiao Wu what he thinks and see if he’s willing to see you. If he is, you can meet today.”
The old man had already gone so far and even made a day trip to the police station. If Xiao Wu was willing, she should let him meet him.
Mu Jingzhe discussed it with Xiao Wu and didn’t hide from Shao Xi and Little Bei. Shao Xi and Little Bei couldn’t help but laugh when they heard that. Xiao Wu was also very surprised.
“The human trafficker that was caught yesterday is… Teacher Ji’s grandfather?” He had actually been caught because he’d wanted to sneak a peek at him.
Xiao Wu had originally thought that regardless of whether he was their biological kin or not, he would just live with his mother. He hadn’t expected to hear this.
Teacher Ji was already a grown man, so his grandfather must be very old too. This…
Xiao Wu hesitated for a moment before saying kindly, “Then let’s meet once. But…”
“Don’t worry, it’s just one meeting. You don’t have to think too much about it.” Mu Jingzhe stroked Xiao Wu’s head. Since Ji Buw.a.n.g had said those words, he wouldn’t go back on his word.
However, this matter still had to be discussed with Shao Qihai. Shao Qihai was silent for a moment. He wasn’t very willing, but he didn’t say much. He just agreed.
Xiao Wu had never met a loving old man before. Zhao Lan, who was both his paternal grandmother and paternal grandfather, had treated him badly. Fortunately, his maternal grandmother, Li Zhaodi, treated Xiao Wu very well. Thus, he had good maternal grandparents. Now that the Ji Family would definitely treat him well and there was a new great-grandfather who’d treat Xiao Wu well, he couldn’t stop them.
However, he also wanted to partic.i.p.ate in the meeting. Mu Jingzhe naturally had no objections.
Ji Buw.a.n.g had no objections either and heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that Xiao Wu was willing to meet. “That’s great. See you tonight then.”
The meeting time between the two families was set.
When Old Master Ji heard Ji Buw.a.n.g’s notice, he started to look at his clothes. “What kind of old people do children like? Ones that aren’t too dignified? My clothes are all in the capital. Buw.a.n.g, what do you think looks better?”
“They all look nice.”
“Don’t just look at me. Go dress up too.” When Old Master Ji heard that Shao Qihai was going as well, he felt that Ji Buw.a.n.g should dress up too.
Old Master Ji was similarly grateful to Shao Qihai. When he thought of his grandson’s plans, he felt a little guilty. Although the situation previously had been special and Buw.a.n.g hadn’t deliberately tried to steal Shao Qihai’s woman, now that they had met again, it was still…
Old Master Ji thought for a moment and asked someone to prepare a generous gift for Shao Qihai.
Old Master Ji wished he could look at his watch a few times a minute. He would either get up and walk in circles or stamp the ground with his walking stick, making Ji Buw.a.n.g feel helpless.
“Grandpa, that’s enough. I’m going to go crazy if you keep walking around. Don’t be anxious. It’s still early.”
Upon hearing that it was still early, Old Master Ji was unhappy and rolled his eyes at Ji Buw.a.n.g.
Ji Buw.a.n.g said helplessly, “Grandpa, it’s useless to glare at me.”
Old Master Ji hated that he couldn’t speed up the clock, which surprised Ji Buw.a.n.g. “Grandpa, are you really that happy?”
When he heard Ji Buw.a.n.g’s words, Old Master Ji’s expression suddenly calmed down. “That’s right, I’m just really happy right now. Speaking of people, it’s really strange. Our att.i.tude toward many things is completely different when we’re in different situations.
“If your older brother was alive now and suddenly had a child, and the child’s biological mother was still that kind of person, I’d definitely be very annoyed. If your older brother got married, the problem would be even bigger. Even if it was his biological son, I might not have liked him.”
After all, it would be an illegitimate child. How could he like an illegitimate child?
“But now that this child appeared when your brother is no longer around, he became a treasure, as he is the last part of your brother’s bloodline. Even though his biological mother is that kind of person, I’m still happy. I’m just a secular person. Back then, I taught the Ji Family that no one was allowed to abandon their wife and children. I even personally made it a rule that if an illegitimate child appeared, they would be kicked out of the Ji Family.
“In the end, I didn’t even mention it now. I’m not a qualified family head, as I broke my promise myself but pretended to be stupid because I really… miss your brother very much.”
His son and daughter-in-law were also gone. The Old Master had to live through the grief of seeing his child die before him. Later on, even his granddaughter and grandson had pa.s.sed away, and his little grandson had fallen into a coma.
Old Master Ji had experienced success in his lifetime, as well as bitterness. When he was young, he had experienced the bitterness of fighting with half-siblings from different mothers for the family fortune. He had witnessed the outcome of infighting between many women sharing the same husband. When he had finally become the head of the Ji Family, he had personally set the Ji Family’s rules, but in his later years, he himself had gone against them.
Ji Buw.a.n.g looked at Old Master Ji, his heart aching. “Grandpa, rules are dead, and people are alive. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know what I’m doing. If others laugh at me, so be it. Anyway, it’s good enough that your older brother has offspring and his son is still well and alive. He’ll be happy if he finds out in the netherworld.”
As he spoke, the topic became a little heavy. Ji Buw.a.n.g perked up. “Grandpa, don’t think too much about it. If you’re happy, so be it. You’re already old, so why not indulge a little?”
“Yes, I’ve decided to let loose. After all, who knows when I’ll die?” Old Master Ji nodded.
“Grandpa, why are you saying such things? Do you want to die? It wasn’t easy for you to find Xiao Wu. Don’t you want to see him more? Don’t you want to see me get married and have children?”
“Previously, when you were unconscious, I didn’t dare die because I was afraid that no one would care about you if I died. Now that you’re alive, you even gave me hope I’ll get to see you get married and have children. Rather than giving me hope, you might as well work hard to do it.”
Upon hearing Old Master Ji say that he hadn’t dared die, Ji Buw.a.n.g’s heart ached. He wondered how his grandfather had survived when he had been forced to lie in bed.
When something had happened to his parents, his grandfather had started growing white hair. Later on, when something had happened to him and his older brother, his hair had turned completely white. Furthermore, he couldn’t take it anymore and he had collapsed.
Although everyone had said that he was actually dead, Grandpa had hung on because he hadn’t stopped breathing.
Ji Buw.a.n.g blinked and didn’t show that anything was amiss. He didn’t dare let his grandfather know that he had been aware during those four years. He was afraid that his grandfather would feel heartache if he found out. He thus laughed and said, “Don’t you have a ready-made great-grandson like Xiao Wu? You should dote on him first. When he grows older, you can dote on my children. Isn’t that fair?”
“You know how to put things nicely. It hasn’t even happened yet.”
Their bickering eased the atmosphere.
Elsewhere, Xiao Wu was also in a daze from time to time. No one knew what he was thinking, but Mu Jingzhe was overthinking.
“Don’t think too much about it, Xiao Wu. It’s just a meeting. If you like it, you can spend more time with them in the future. If you’re not used to it, it’s fine.”
Everything went smoothly for the production team, so they got off work on time in the evening.
Ji Buw.a.n.g had come early to pick them up. This time, he even sent someone to pick Shao Qihai up.
When they met, Old Master Ji couldn’t take his eyes off Xiao Wu. Other than the fact that he really looked like a human trafficker, the atmosphere was very harmonious.
Old Master Ji was really grateful to Shao Qihai and Mu Jingzhe, so he was very polite and treated Little Wu and Little Bei nicely. It was just that the gifts he gave them later on were too expensive.
Other than buying something for the children, they had also bought something for Mu Jingzhe and Shao Qihai.
Shao Qihai hadn’t expected that he would receive something too. “No need, no need to be so polite. This is too expensive.”
“It’s just a small gift. Don’t worry. I’m not trying to do anything by giving you a gift. I’m just really happy.” Old Master Ji waved his hand. “I’ve been earning money my entire life. I should spend it freely.”
The two families met amicably. Just as they had said previously, there was no s.n.a.t.c.hing issue. It was like having a gathering with old friends.
Xiao Wu secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He didn’t hate his great-grandfather. Although he kept staring at him as if he had done something amazing while eating, he felt that he was a good person.
Mu Jingzhe had a good impression of Old Master Ji, but the more Ji Buw.a.n.g looked at Old Master Ji, the more suspicious he became. He felt that Old Master Ji’s smile on the way back was terrifying. “Grandpa, you like Xiao Wu so much?”
“I do.”
“Don’t tell me you have any bad ideas?” The more Old Master Ji liked Xiao Wu, the more worried Ji Buw.a.n.g became. Based on his understanding of Old Master Ji in the past, he felt a little worried.
“What kind of bad ideas could I have?” Old Master Ji rolled his eyes at him.
“Who knows what kind of bad ideas you have.” Ji Buw.a.n.g emphasized his next words. “Grandpa, I told them that we wouldn’t do anything. Don’t go back on your word.”
“Of course not. Why would I be a bad person? I’m a good person. I want to be the best great-grandfather.” Old Master Ji indicated that he would continue being a good person. “I won’t get anxious or do anything. I can take things slowly. Besides, don’t you still want to marry Jingzhe? As long as you marry her, Xiao Wu will naturally be our family’s child. You have to work hard for me, if not for yourself.”
Ji Buw.a.n.g: “You’ve revealed your true colors, Old Master…” He knew that Old Master Ji was cunning.
No matter what, it was good that the two families didn’t have to go so far as to compete for Xiao Wu.
However, he hadn’t expected Shao Qiyun, who was the most unqualified among the two families, to jump out impatiently.
After confirming that the Ji Family had acknowledged Xiao Wu, Shao Qiyun couldn’t sit still anymore. She was no longer afraid of Mu Jingzhe’s warning.
People died for wealth, and birds died for food. Previously, she had avoided it because there was little money to put on an act for. However, it was different now that the Ji Family was in the picture. Considering their immense riches, as long as she could enter their family, she would be wealthy for life. There was only madness in her eyes.
Mu Jingzhe wasn’t surprised to see Shao Qiyun. It would be strange if Shao Qiyun didn’t do anything.
Mu Jingzhe had heard of a theory before. There were very few ordinary people in this world who couldn’t be bought. After all, even though a person might not be tempted by one million yuan, what if it was ten million, one hundred million, or two hundred million?
At the moment, Shao Qiyun was facing the greatest temptation. How could she let go of the Ji Family? Her best way out of her predicament was to acknowledge Xiao Wu and marry Ji Buw.a.n.g so she could live a good life thereafter. Anyway, she was very satisfied with Ji Buw.a.n.g’s good looks.
At the very least, she had given birth to the child. The Ji Family had to continue supporting her and give her a large sum of money to ensure that she would be rich for the rest of her life.
Shao Qiyun had been dreaming all this time, and her eyes were shockingly bright. However, she also knew there was an obstacle. Mu Jingzhe, Xiao Wu, and Ji Buw.a.n.g were not easy to talk to. Nonetheless, she wouldn’t give up just like that.
She wanted to talk to Xiao Wu secretly. Regardless of whether she used bribery or coercion, all would be well as long as he agreed to it. However, she never got the chance. Xiao Wu never went out alone. Mu Jingzhe kept Xiao Wu by her side at all times and even brought him to the production team with her. It was obvious that she didn’t want to give her a chance.
Shao Qiyun waited for two days but didn’t get a chance. She couldn’t take it anymore and went straight to their door. She was already prepared to throw a tantrum and be chased away or beaten up. She had changed into an outfit that would make it easier for her to do so.
She even deliberately chose to go in the evening, when everyone was going home to cook. This way, if Mu Jingzhe dared to hit her, she would scream for help to avoid being beaten to death.
Shao Qiyun had made countless preparations, but she wasn’t prepared to be invited in.
When Mu Jingzhe saw her, although her eyes were cold, she wasn’t angry at all. Instead, she said, “Come in.”
After saying that, she opened the door and let her in.
This was supposed to be a good thing, but Shao Qiyun was facing a formidable enemy. Her entire body was tense and dazed. Images of Mu Jingzhe letting her in and then killing her flashed across her mind.
Shao Qiyun didn’t dare close the door and deliberately left it open. Then, she entered in shock. When she sat on a chair, Shao Qiyun still felt a sense of surrealism.
She had actually been invited to sit here like this?
Shao Qiyun couldn’t believe it, but she quickly realized that Mu Jingzhe was afraid. She knew about the Ji Family, and because she was Xiao Wu’s biological mother, she was afraid!